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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. race — humankind
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — of ice
  11. press — to push
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. cap — a lid
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. race — the arms race
  23. cap — a hat
  24. race — a contest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com